Why does the grease become dry and hard, can it be diluted with oil?
February 01, 2024
Why does the grease become dry and hard, can it be diluted with oil? When the grease becomes dry and hard, can it be diluted with oil to maintain the proper consistency of the grease? Can the grease be refueled when it becomes dry and hard? Grease is composed of Base Oil, thickener and additive, in use, the loss of base oil leads to the drying of grease, but it can not simply rely on oil to restore the oil content of the grease. If the grease is found to be dry and hard, new grease should be added instead of refueling. There are two reasons for not adding oil to grease: First, direct refueling into dry and hard grease does not effectively replace lost oil. Some people mistakenly think that the grease has run dry, so replenish it. In fact, the oil in the grease may not be added by this method, and the thickening agent and the base oil can be effectively mixed under specific reaction conditions in the manufacturing process of the grease to produce the grease. Therefore, the grease diluted by relying on its own refueling can not provide normal lubrication, which will cause poor lubrication problems, resulting in component wear. 
The correct approach is to find that the grease becomes hard and dry, in addition to thinking of adding new grease, it should also be further considered: why does the grease become dry and hard? If the grease repeatedly dries and hardens, it will directly cause poor lubrication and component damage. First of all, check whether the current grease is selected correctly, whether the dosage is appropriate, and whether the addition time of grease is appropriate. Second, the machine has a requirement for the consistency of the grease, for example, the most commonly used is 2# lithium-based grease, 2# refers to the consistency of the grease, if the grease is fueled by itself, it can not reach the required consistency, and the dilution oil added will cause the loss of additives in the grease, and will also cause the loss of the grease itself, especially the addition of some light oil. Sometimes the oil added to the grease is indeed evenly mixed, but it does not mean that the performance of the grease is not affected. First of all, the base oil and additives of grease have many classifications, the oil we add is not necessarily the same as the base oil, the role of different oils and additives is also different, through refueling, the performance of the grease will change, such as the viscosity of the base oil is not qualified, the concentration of diluting additives, the newly added oil may also be incompatible with the ingredients in the grease, resulting in the degeneration of the grease. Performance deteriorates. 
What if the grease becomes hard and dry Sometimes the oil added to the grease is indeed evenly mixed, but it does not mean that the performance of the grease is not affected. First of all, the base oil and additives of grease have many classifications, the oil we add is not necessarily the same as the base oil, the role of different oils and additives is also different, through refueling, the performance of the grease will change, such as the viscosity of the base oil is not qualified, the concentration of diluting additives, the newly added oil may also be incompatible with the ingredients in the grease, resulting in the degeneration of the grease. Performance deteriorates. The correct approach is to find that the grease becomes hard and dry, in addition to thinking of adding new grease, it should also be further considered: why does the grease become dry and hard? If the grease repeatedly dries and hardens, it will directly cause poor lubrication and component damage. First of all, check whether the current grease is selected correctly, whether the dosage is appropriate, and whether the addition time of grease is appropriate. Why does grease dry and harden The selection of grease should choose the appropriate NLGI consistency grade, and pay attention to the base oil viscosity of the grease should also be appropriate. Grease dry and hard to pay attention to the following reasons: 1. The grease is contaminated: dust, dirt, dust and similar impurities, which will cause the grease to dry out. In the use of grease, foreign impurities should be prevented from entering the lubrication system, which will not only affect the performance of the grease, but also cause wear to the machine. 2. Incompatibility between greases: When changing oil, have you ever noticed what kind of grease is added each time? Is the brand the same? Is it the same product of the same brand? If you don't pay attention to these things, then you are likely to get shot.
3. Oxidation of base oil: the selected grease has poor oxidation resistance. 4. High temperature of machine parts: such as excessive grease filling of bearings, overheating caused by mechanical conditions (improper installation, excessive load, etc.), insufficient lubrication may cause overheating problems in machine operation. 5. Vibration and centrifugal force: If the grease is subjected to long-term vibration or centrifugal force, it will also exacerbate the oil separation. If the appropriate grease is not used, centrifugal force can dry the base oil in the grease. 6. Exposure to special physical or chemical conditions: the grease is exposed to chemicals, radiation, certain chemical salts and so on.
